Takehiro Tomiyasu was, arguably, the best player on the pitch for Arsenal during their 3-2 loss against Manchester United, and some fans were mightily impressed with the defender.
The north London club missed the opportunity to climb into a top-four spot in the Premier League after their defeat at the hands of Red Devils on Thursday. The game was a close affair involving some controversial moments.
The visitors bizarrely opened the scoring when Emile Smith Rowe volleyed the ball into an empty net, with David De Gea down injured. Initially, the goal was deemed unlawful, but an intervention by the VAR saw the goal stand as it was revealed that De Gea was fouled by his teammate, Fred.
Just before half-time Bruno Fernandes finished a sweeping move by United to bring them back on level terms. Cristiano Ronaldo scored in the early stages of the second half to put the hosts ahead.
The Gunners were quick to respond as Martin Odegaard equalized two minutes later. However, the Norwegian later caught Fred in the box to give away a silly penalty, which Ronaldo put away to secure all three points.
Tomiyasu, who arrived at the Emirates in the summer, has enjoyed an excellent start to life at the club, and that continued on Thursday night. Despite the defeat, he put in an impressive display. He was defensively solid on the right flank and kept Jadon Sancho at bay throughout the game.
Right before the stroke of halftime, the Japan international almost won a penalty. Harry Maguire clearly pulled his arm and brought him to the ground. However, the referee did not spot the incident. Surprisingly, the VAR also did not intervene.
Here are some of the best reactions from Twitter:
Sancho & Rashford were anonymous, thanks to Tomiyasu & Tavares. Our defence played well minus Ben White & midfield particularly Partey was awful. We need two midfielders, a goal scoring winger & striker
— KING👑 (@_IKENNA_) December 3, 2021
Tomiyasu has been our best player tonight
— Pain In The Arsenal (@PainInThArsenal) December 2, 2021
Tomiyasu has Sancho In his back pocket
— hydrainc (@damibanwo1) December 3, 2021
Yeah there’s something special about Tomiyasu btw he’s a baller!
— . (@jclaudengoyi) December 3, 2021
nah rt tho respect to tomiyasu he gives me that van dijk presence at rb
— noah 🇩🇪 (@noahzxl) December 3, 2021
Ordegaard if not the penalty was our best player with martinelli and Tomiyasu
— KayKay🦅 (@68kurutsi) December 3, 2021
Arsenal Fever View:
Tomiyasu has cemented his spot on the right flank with some impressive performances. He has become an important part of the first team in such a short time. He is a versatile full-back who offers defensive rigidity to the backline, while also being capable of venturing forward and providing the width on the right-wing.
The 23-year-old’s defensive capabilities were showcased at Old Trafford. He was crucial in keeping Sancho and Ronaldo relatively quiet for the majority of the game. He also made a good block in the final stages of the game to keep the Gunners within touching distance of an equalizer.
Undoubtedly, Tomiyasu will be involved for Arsenal when they take on Everton on Monday night, where they will be hoping to right the wrongs. If Arteta’s men walk away with a win from Merseyside, they could potentially be in a Champions League spot.
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